The Wolves in the Walls

I love the story. I love the language. I love the art. I used to love to read it to my child (he's in high school now and isn't as willing to hear me read to him).

What? You haven't gotten a copy yet? *shakes head sadly*

Everyone knows that when the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over. Or, at least, that's what Lucy's family tells her when she hears the "scrambling, rambling, rustling in the walls" which she knows means there are wolves hidden behind them. Her parents and brother are skeptical at first, claiming that the noises are made by mice, or rats, or bats... until, in the middle of the night, the wolves come out of the walls. Lucy and her family must flee from their home and hide in the garden until they can figure out what to do. Everyone, except Lucy, suggests that they move. When Lucy realizes that she has left her beloved pig puppet in the house, though, she must sneak back in through the walls to get it back. Once she escapes again, she informs her wary family that they can keep living in their home - inside of the walls. Will Lucy's family be stuck watching the greedy wolves take over their house forever? Or, will it all be over - for the wolves?
The Wolves in the Walls, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean (Harper Collins, 2003), is both funny and suspenseful. Lucy's silly family continually offers a chorus of off-base suggestions which will make readers laugh, and the wolves' antics in the family home are also amusing - one even tries to play the tuba. The illustrations, though sometimes jarring, use a contrast between bright golds and darker shades to build a sense of foreboding for the reader. Although Lucy's family doesn't believe her, the illustrations let the reader see the truth; at one point, a single eye even emerges from the wall. While readers may wonder why Lucy's family is so oblivious to the wolves' presence when they all seem to be aware of the consequences of a wolf attack (it's all over), this awareness is used to create tension. Lucy is a lively character who overcomes her fears to rescue her family, and her brother's bad bat jokes and strange desire to let a vampire bat bite him is also entertaining. The Wolves in the Walls is a vivacious battle between man and beast, with unique illustrations, that will keep the pages turning.

When I picked up a copy of Wolves in the Walls at Borders, I knew I'd buy it because it was, afterall, Neil Gaiman's new book and I was there for the Reading/Q&A/book signing. But despite the fact that I'm a huge fan of Neil's and love anything he writes, I was a little hesitant; books are expensive, my bookcase is cluttered enough, and the only children I have to read to are my 4 and 5 year old nieces, who, I'm sorry to say, are easily frightened. Old People and Vacuum Cleaners scare them and I highly doubted they'd handle big wolves coming out of the walls very well. But when Neil read the book to the captivated audience of grownups (and two children), his matter-of-fact tone and impeccable delivery rendered the book more humorous than anything else.
The wording of the story itself is perfect, as Neil's wording always is. Even the fonts and their arrangement on the pages are perfect. The illustrations are wonderful--some are jagged and jarring and others are spooky and beautiful. They're the sort complex and layered pictures that a young child could stare at for ages, and then look at again when they're all grown up and feel eerily familiar with, as if they'd spent some of their childhood IN the pictures.
I haven't tried reading the book to any children yet, but I'm looking forward to the chance. Meanwhile, I'm quite enjoying it myself.

What a strange, wonderful new book!
Neil Gaiman has long been one of my favorite authors, but I admit I had doubts as to how well he could write for children. With a history of gritty, streetwise characters, ( I'm thinking John Constantine, or maybe Door, here), I thought he might just be too edgy for the little ones.
All my fears were put to rest after reading The Wolves in the Walls, though for the kids they were just beginning!
The story is scary, especially accompanied by Dave McKean's dramatic illustrations. But, as surreal as the plot is, there is a comforting normality in the interactions of the characters.
Lucy, the young girl who is the only one of her family to recognize the danger lurking behind the house's walls, is reassuringly level-headed. She never panics, but reacts sensibly and courageously to the bizarre events which inspire only confusion and fear in her parents.
After the wolves come out, the family is forced to abandon the house. The mother and father, giving all up for lost, propose preposterous solutions to resolve the family's sudden homelessness. Dad thinks they might move to a desert island, mom suggests a hot-air balloon.
Lucy calmly rides out her family's panic, making some decisions about what is most important to her, and how best to save the day.
Gaiman never panders to children, and never assumes their fears are less valid than an adult's. Saying that, he also seems to have no qualms with playing off those fears.
I wish that as a child, I had read books that had really addressed my fears, and answered the question, just what if the wolves really had come out of the walls?

The next time you hear something creeping in your walls, or you swear that painting is staring at you, believe that it could indeed be that you have wolves in your walls! Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean, The Wolves in the Walls (Harpertrophy, 2005) tells the tale of Lucy, a girl who swears that she can hear wolves in the walls of her home. Her parents and younger brother poke fun at her for believing this, but always give her the same ominous warning, "If the wolves come out of the walls then it's all over." One evening the wolves do break out of the walls, and Lucy and her family are left fleeing in fright from their home. Forced to sleep in their garden until they can come up with another home, Lucy eventually convinces her family to live in the walls of their house. Here, they witness the wolves eating toast and jam, playing Lucy's fathers 2nd best tuba, and playing videogames. Angered that their house is being destroyed, Lucy's family comes through the walls, scaring away the wolves as they yell, "It's all over!" While McKean's illustrations are dark and creepy, children will laugh at the image of a wolf playing a tuba or sliding down a banister in fancy clothing. Neil Gaiman's story is sure to delight readers for years to come.

A young girl is greeted with disbelief when she tells her family members that there are wolves hiding behind the walls of their home. But is she really right, after all? _The Wolves in the Walls_ is one of those books that early on, you think, "Goodness gracious! Is this going to give my five-year-old nightmares?" Just when you think it's going to get really scary, it turns hilariously wacky. A fun read, helped along by trippy illustrations. Not quite as well written as some of Gaiman's other books, though, I thought.

Wolves in the Walls is what is called a sophisticated picture book- one that appeals to readers who think they're too old or too cool for picture books. I saw it in a comic book store and thought the creepy story would interest older elementary kids. I bought it for the school media center I work in and read it out loud to my fourth graders, who are always demanding creepy, scary books. Even the reluctant readers loved it. They fought over who would get to check it out. I'd say that gives this book the official kids' seal of approval.

I discovered Neil Gaiman in the airport bookstore on a recent business trip. I became a convert after reading the first few pages of "American Gods". What a delight it was to find that my newest, favoritest author also writes children's books. ...
Parents beware, this book is scarier for adults than it is for kids. Adults remember the things that scared them at night, in a distorted sort of way. Creatures living in the walls seems to be one of those things that might have given us nightmares when we were kids. However, for me, the scariest part wasn't the wolves themselves, but the unsettling notion that there was so much space behind the walls. What other things might live in the invisible spaces of our homes? <Shiver....>
Despite my own perspective of the story, my ... son admires Lucy's courage. You see, you cannot tell a story about overcoming your fears without the idea of "fear" itself. WitW delivers just enough fear to compel the reader. The ending is light-hearted and fun, so make sure your children read the book to its completion.
The illustrations are top-notch and really compliment the mood of the story well. They are a little unsettling, to be sure, but I also remember how I loved the terrifying illustrations in "Where the Wild Thigs Are" as a child.
Creepy, funny, and heroic, WitW is destined to become a classic picture book. ...

If so, this book is for them! About half the kids we've seen love (just LOVE!) this book; the others just don't get it.

There is great, kid-friendly off-beat artwork and a bit of a wacky sense of humor in the tradition of "Where the Wild Things Are". Much of the humor is at the expense of sweet but somewhat clueless parents who first deny the existence of childhood horrors but then permit themselves to be dispossessed of their house when the horrors come out. But, when a brave child faces her horrors all becomes right with the world. Until...

Highly recommended.

I checked this book out from the library to check for age appropriateness before I bought it because of the 1 and 2 star reviews. Bottom line, the book is borderline so you have to know your kids and use your common sense. It was too much for my 3 year old, but it's one of the few books "cool enough" for my 6 year old nephew to be caught dead reading. I'm glad I checked it out first because I wouldn't have been happy if I'd spent money on it.

After the piece of brilliance that was Coraline, I was interested to see what The Wolves in the Walls would be like. It is an interesting book, but it's not for every child.
The story, like that of Coraline, seems warmed-over. A slight spin on tried-and-true conceits we've all seen before. I felt that it worked in Coraline. I don't feel it elevates to anything special here.
I also don't feel like this is a picture book; it may have worked better as a graphic-novel-style chapter book or middle reader. There's too much story here for a picture book (the pages with four sort of "panels" on them seem especially unreadable to me), but not quite enough story to make the book worthwhile. For example, I would have liked to have seen a lot more of what the family's life was like within the walls.
Gaiman fans will no doubt want this for their collection, but I'm not sure The Wolves in the Walls will convert many readers who are unfamiliar with his work. Coraline was a book that could achieve such a thing.
The standouts here, however, are Dave McKean's illustrations; a haunted, haunting mixture of flat shadows and sparkling lights, part illustration, part photography. I'd open the book again just to "read" the pictures.

A friend of mine read this to my 3-year-old son. My friend is a very good storyteller and I watched as my son became completely absorbed in the story, gasping in all the right places and looking at the pictures with wide-eyed fascination. He begs me to read it to him and recites bits of the book, telling me that when the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over.

The book is beautifully illustrated, but I can see that the pictures could easily scare some children. Parents should read through the book before showing it to their kids and make sure that this type of material won't be too much for them.

Gaiman and McKean team up once again on yet another highly stylish, atmospheric children's offering with "The Wolves in the Walls." While the story is average at best lacking the originality in some of Gaiman's more imaginative offerings it still is a perfectly suitable tale to captivate the young ones. Where the book stands out, and of great aesthetic value to adults, is in Dave McKean's stellar artwork. Once again readers are treated to moody, surreal images that at times seem almost, 'too good,' for its own good. Overall this book is not quite up to par with the highest of quality we've come to expect from Gaiman & McKean but still very worthy of your time.

I am a year 6 pupil who has just finished reading this amazing book with my teacher and friends. I really like the suspense that has been included into the story, and there are many cliffhangers in the story. My first impressions when I first saw the front cover was this is a boys story it won't be that good for me as a girl. But it happens i was wrong. It was very vivid and I like the phrases included in the text. (If the wolves come out of the walls it's all over...) The author Neil Gaiman has a very good imagination and uses a lot of wow words. I rate this book 5 stars for the explanation and cliff hanger at the end...

I have read Gaiman's past childrens' works(and all his adult too), and he knows his reader. The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish is along the vien of this one, and I enjoyed it a titch better than I did Wolves. Coraline is for children around the age of middle school or so, and he did an excellent job with that as well.
Wolves is about a girl who hears noises in the walls, and is told that is Wolves. The wolves come out and the rest of the story is up to you to read.
If you have children, or like to read childrens books, this book is for you, and pick up Gaiman's other childrens books.

A wonderfully unusual and fascinating children's book. Neil Gaiman has a finely tuned story-sense, keeping the plot deliciously adventuresome (but never too scary for a child), with dollops of the amusingly absurd in all the right spots. His words beg to be read aloud, even if you're only reading to yourself!
Dave McKean's illustrations are nothing short of amazing. They are collages of everything you can think of -- photos, paintings, drawings -- with a highly unusual, beautiful effect. Parents will like looking at these pictures as much as children will!

Ok let's get started. Five stars for Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman Because after I read this book I was laughing my head off! This book starts out when Lucy hears thumping and crunching while she is sleeping and agrees to herself that there are wolves in the walls and goes to tell her mom, dad and her little brother but they think she's being silly. But unfortunately Lucy's right. Read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By: Jake

Like "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish", this childrens' book is filled with oddball humor and sweetness. McKean's artwork has a very distinct flair that's just *fun* to look at, and the text by Gaiman is... well, written by Gaiman. Those who have read some of his other books are familar with the way he writes. For those who aren't, it's like nothing else.
And, as is normal for childrens' novels, "Wolves in the Walls" contains a moral-of-the-story, although it is never outright stated or shoved in your face. Rather than having the condesending tone of most childrens' stories which lecture the reader on how to behave, this book illustates by having the characters act out the lesson, the essence of which the children are allowed to reach for themselves.

My very active 4 year old actually sat through this entire book without saying a word, then asked me to read it again. She loves it, and didn't think it was scary. There were a lot of funny parts to make it more interesting for ME (kids' books are pretty boring when you're 33). The pictures are great. My 2 year old listened to me read it off and on and it didn't scare her either.

When did we all decide that being afraid was a bad thing?
I mean, being scared in the real world is no fun, but getting a spinal chill from a book or film is an excellent way for anyone - adult or child - to experience the emotion with a certain degree of safety. As adults, we all know the difference between fantasy and reality, and it's up to us to teach our children this most important of distinctions.
I think Neil Gaiman's new book does just that with style, humor and a certain snarkiness that kids will love.
As in his other book for younger readers, the magnificent CORALINE, Neil's protagonist is a young girl who knows much more of her corner of the world than the adults that surround her. She hears the odd noises behind the plasterboard and shouts warnings to anyone who will listen, but like most noisy children in fantasy stories she is hushed and ignored...and absolutley right.
When the wolves do come out of the walls, it is in a spectacular frenzy of horn-blowing and sinister merriment, made all the more frenetic and creepy by the masterful illustrations of Dave McKean. This man is more than just a pop artist - his work should be treated as seriously as possible...it's that visceral, that beautiful.
Reading this book with your child can have so many varied benefits: it entertains, frightens and encourages; it can open up discussions about the nature of fantasy versus reality, about wolves...even about the Queen of Melanesia (don't ask...just read the book).
There is no blood, no violence towards children, just wonderful writing coupled with breathtaking art. The book is a tresure, like it's creators.

The wolves in the walls
If you like scary and funny book's this the perfect book for you
I liked it because it is funny and scary
When I read this book I liked it and you would probably like it if I would rate it would be a 5 because it is a good book. And lucy is telling her family that there is wolves in the walls but her won't believe her!
(...)

When the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over. Everyone says so--except Lucy. This book handles certain scary themes very well: night noises, monsters under the bed (or in the walls), family dynamics, etc. Lucy's down-to-earth resourcefulness and matter-of-fact bravery helps tone down the scarier parts of this book. Highly, highly recommended, both for the story, the prose, and the illustrations.

What a quirky, nonsensical, scary-in-a-cute-way book by Gaiman! (Okay, so I'm not surprised!) I was intrigued by the thought of the wolves in the walls, and the pull-and-tug between the humans and the wolves in the house. I was fascinated by the illustrations, as well.

Neil Gaiman writes really spooky kid's books. If you like stories that make you see things in your peripheral vision in the dark shadows of your room at night, he's the man to look to. Just like with Coraline, his voice is as distinctive and cool here as with his more adult pursuits.

I always loved Gaimans work, and got this book in spite of the art, but my 3 yr old son saw I was reading a flat hardcover, decided it was story time, and climbed into my lap demanding to be read to. To my suprise, he loved the book, and promptly imitated the wolves, eating jam and dancing! Good empowering ending, too. So now there's a new household fave!

The wolves in the walls
This author and illustrator make a great team!
I rate this book three stars because...it is a wacky book and because it is an out of this world book.
(...)I loved this book and so should you. So read this good book or the wolves will come out of your walls(...)!

I've read many reviews in which people seem to think this book is too scary for youg children. My son is three and it has become his favourite book. He likes to carry it around with him and pretend we are the wolves (I'm usually "Jam Wolf" and he is "Tuba Wolf"). I think children understand that the wolves never hurt anyone or anything. The worst they do is drop jam on the floor. Anyway my three year old loves it.

My six year old was a bit scared but laughing by the end and asked repeatedly the next day to hear it "one more time". The illustrations were eerily excellent. Highly recommended. I couldn't beleive it when I saw that Gaiman was doing kids books.

My 5 and nearly 3-year-old love this book. They enjoy that it's tense but that everything comes out in the end. They love to shout "it's all over!" in the appropriate places. I can see how some children might be frightened by the drawings, but mine weren't - just fascinated.

I bought and read this book the day it came out, since I'm a huge fan of Neil Gaiman. I loved the pictures and the story was great-I love the child heroines/heroes which are found in Neil's books. This book captured me from the dedications. I loved the artwork and although some may find it to be not for kids, the children I teach also love to listen to and read or look at this book(preschool and beyond).

The reviews on this book imply that it's simply terrifying, and I supposed the subject matter could have been if the author had handled it differently, but I found this book to be delightful and not at all scary. My four-year-old twins think it's hilarious and wonderful, and they beg to reread it all the time. Don't let the scary reviews frighten you away. This book is a gem.

I LOVED this book! I really enjoyed Neil Gaiman's book Coraline and I've heard his other books are worth reading as well so I picked up The Wolves in the Walls next. I was very entertained. I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough so I can read it to her (she's only 2!).

Whitney Wolves in the Walls
By Neil Gaiman
I would rate this book a four stars.
If you like creepy things this book is for you.
I like it when the wolves were scared of the family.
I hated it when the family had to go outside and stay there.
I also liked it when the wolves came out of the walls.
The wolves came out of the walls. The family went outside but then they decided to be in the walls for a little while. But then the family came out of the walls and the wolves
Were scared so then the wolves went out of the house and ran where no family can
Come out of the walls.
This book is for CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with the librarian, this book is packaged like a book for small children, but reads like a book for older school aged children and adults. My kids did not see the humor, even after I tried to explain it to them, they just thought the pictures were scary and sad. I frankly found the story a little past creative and venturing in disturbing.

Speaking as a librarian, I would say this "picture book" poses a problem because it is not for the usual picture book audience, young children. Actually, I am not sure who it is for. Older kids who like R.L. Stine's horror stories might like this, but the book is so short it really doesn't give them a substantial read.
Speaking as a mother and a critic of the culture, I would not bother with this dark book for my school aged, sensitive children. The strawberry jam takes on the appearance of blood on the wolves' faces, and the family scared out of their home, sleeping on the night ground is quite horrible. You see the girl curled up in a fetal position on the black grass between knarled trees with visions of the wolves torturing her pet stuffed animal pig she left inside. As in the author's other book, Coraline, the parents are ineffective. The main character looks a lot like Coraline, with sunken,black, buttony dots for eyes, and yellow-gray skin. As a critic of the ugliness and fearfulness expressed endlessly our culture, I reject this book. True, the family goes back inside, tired of the wolves finally. But that does not negate the overall, unnecessary darkness of the book.
The ending uses a pat children's book technique, the same as used by David Small's book Imogene's Antlers, where the girl's antlers are gone, but the she awakens with a peacock tail to deal with. So after the wolves, we learn there are elephants (in the walls.) Why, Mr. Gaiman could do sequels galore to this gem, kind of like Nancy Shaw's Sheep in a Jeep series (Sheep in a Shop, Sheep on a Ship, Sheep Out to Eat, Sheep Take a Hike, etc.) But I'm not holding my breath for The Elephants in the Walls or whatever else may stampede across the paper out of Mr. Gaiman's dark pen.
cz

This is a very bad book, it's scary and not for children!!!!!!
The person who wrote this probably does'nt have children.
Don't buy this or read this to your children!!!!!!
It will give them nightmares.

I purchased this for my grandchildren 6, 8, and 10 for Christmas. When the 8 y.o opened it, his mother asked to see it and said it was too scary for any of them. I had not read it, but that evening proceeded to read the book. For my grandchildren, it is not age appropriate.

This is a very bad book, it's scary and not for children!!!!!!
The person who wrote this probably does'nt have children.
Don't buy this or read this to your children!!!!!!
It will give them nightmares.

I purchased this for my grandchildren 6, 8, and 10 for Christmas. When the 8 y.o opened it, his mother asked to see it and said it was too scary for any of them. I had not read it, but that evening proceeded to read the book. For my grandchildren, it is not age appropriate.